POLICE were last night questioning a man about the unsolved murder of ex-model Rachel Nickell.Miss Nickell, who was brought up and educated in north Essex, was stabbed to death in front of her toddler son on July 15, 1992, on Wimbledon Common.

By Juliette Maxam

POLICE were last night questioning a man about the unsolved murder of ex-model Rachel Nickell.

Miss Nickell, who was brought up and educated in north Essex, was stabbed to death in front of her toddler son on July 15, 1992, on Wimbledon Common.

Scotland Yard officers are interviewing a 40-year-old man who has not been named. A spokesman declined to comment on reports that the man was believed to be in Broadmoor secure hospital, in Berkshire.

He said: “Metropolitan Police officers investigating the murder of 23-year-old Rachel Nickell on July 15, 1992, are interviewing a 40-year-old man today. The interview is part of an on-going inquiry into Rachel's murder.”

It is understood that the man has not been arrested.

Colin Stagg, from Roehampton, west London, was arrested for the murder and spent a year in custody before being cleared in 1994.

A judge at the Old Bailey threw the case out on the grounds that police had used a “honey trap” plot to encourage him to confess.

Mr Stagg yesterday said he was very pleased to hear of the latest development.

He said: “It's about time. If he gets charged, hopefully things would start moving forward, not just for me, but for the Nickell family as well. I'm still getting called a murderer.”

In September 2004, it was reported that police had discovered new DNA evidence after reviewing the case.

Rachel grew up in Wickham Bishops, near Maldon, with her parents and older brother. She was educated at Great Totham primary school, Colchester County High School and Colchester Institute.

She was stabbed 49 times as she was walking her dog on Wimbledon Common with her young son, who was discovered clinging to her dead body among a clump of trees.

At the time of her brutal murder she was living with her boyfriend Andre, and their two-year-old son Alex, in Balham, south London. Her family were living in Bedfordshire.